09/18/2025
Mother-in-law lived with us for a month, and when my mom came for the weekend, my husband said: "Not a good time for guests."
âSemyon, you didnât even ask!â â Margo slammed the bags down on the table, apples rolling everywhere. âYou just told my mom âof course, stay,â but did you think about me?â
Semyon awkwardly tried to catch the fleeing fruit.
âMargosh, what could I do? Her pipe burst, the apartment was flooded. She canât live on the street! Itâs just for a couple of weeks, while the repairs are going onâŚâ
Margo sighed, trying to compose herself. She started putting the groceries into the fridge.
âSemyon, we agreed â important decisions we make together. Remember?â
âWhat kind of important decision is this?â â Semyon came up from behind and hugged her shoulders. âItâs Mom. Two weeks â you wonât even notice.â
Margo pulled away and looked at him skeptically.
âWe have a two-room apartment, Semyon. Where is she going to sleep? On the couch in the living room? And what about⌠you know, our private life?â
âWeâll figure something out,â Semyon said confidently. âMom is not picky, she said the couch is fine.â
Margo smirked.
âYeah, not picky. Remember New Year? She didnât eat my salad because, apparently, I didnât cut the carrots right.â
âYouâre exaggerating,â Semyon waved it off. âEveryone has their quirks. Weâll just bear with it.â
Then the phone rang. âMomâ showed on the screen.
âYes, Mom⌠Yes, weâll pick you up, of course⌠Tomorrow at two? Okay, Iâll come by⌠How many suitcases? Three?!â â he looked at Margo guiltily. âYeah, yeah, weâll manageâŚâ
Margo stood silently with her arms crossed.
âThree suitcases for two weeks?â â she asked after he hung up.
âWell, youâre a woman, you should understand,â Semyon tried to joke. âCosmetics, dressesâŚâ
âItâs May, Semyon. What kind of dresses fill three suitcases?â
âCome on,â he sighed. âLetâs just try to make it work for everyone.â
Margo took a deep breath.
âAlright, Semyon. Iâll try.â
Tatyana Evgenievna arrived exactly on time. Semyon brought not only three suitcases but also a bunch of bags.
âMargosha, sunshine!â â the mother-in-law hugged her daughter-in-law, bathing her in a wave of cloying perfume.
âHello, Tatyana Evgenievna,â Margo tried hard not to grimace.
âOh, you look so pale!â â the mother-in-law stepped back, eyeing her from head to toe. âSemyonushka, what, you donât feed your wife? Skinny as a twig!â
âMomâŚâ â Semyon began warningly.
âIâm joking, Iâm joking!â â Tatyana Evgenievna laughed and went to look around the apartment. âSo, where will I rest?â
âWell, we prepared the couch,â Margo pointed to the unfolded sofa with clean sheets. âHope it will be comfortable.â
The mother-in-law inspected the sleeping place and pursed her lips.
âOf course, comfortable. Iâm only here a short time. Though my back isnât what it used to be⌠But okay, Iâll manage.â
Margo and Semyon exchanged looks.
âMom, do you need anything else?â â Semyon asked.
âNo, no, Iâm independent. You wonât even notice me!â
An hour later, Margo realized those were empty words.
The first week turned into a nightmare. The mother-in-law took over the entire living room: her things everywhere, the TV blaring from morning till night, and the smell of her perfume seemed to have soaked into the wallpaper.
But the worst was in the kitchen. Tatyana Evgenievna, a former math teacher, cooked like solving equations: every piece strictly sized, every pinch of salt measured with apothecary precision.
âMargosha, youâre overheating the pan,â she looked over Margoâs shoulder. âThe onions will burn!â
âI always cook this way,â Margo replied calmly.
âWell, if you like it burntâŚâ â the mother-in-law shrugged. âSemyonushka doesnât complain, heâs not picky.â
After ten days, Margo found herself counting minutes until her mother-in-lawâs departure. âFour more days,â she thought, watching how Tatyana Evgenievna rearranged the dishes âproperly.â
But on the fourteenth day, when Margo cautiously asked about plans, the mother-in-law looked at her in surprise:
âOh, didnât Sema tell you? The repairs are delayed. The electrician needs to change things, says the foreman. At least two more weeks.â
Something inside Margo snapped. Two more weeks?!
That evening she tried to talk to her husband.
âSemyon, why didnât you say Mom is staying for two more weeks?â
Semyon shrugged guiltily:
âI forgot. Work is overwhelming, you see â I come home late.â
âI thought things would get better soon,â Margo lowered her voice. âSemyon, itâs hard for me. She controls my every move, rearranges my thingsâŚâ
âMom just wants to help,â Semyon rubbed his face. âListen, not now. Iâm exhausted.â
Margo wanted to argue but saw her husband really could barely stand. She postponed the conversation.
A week later, âtwo weeksâ turned into âa little longer, the wiringâs done, but there are problems with the floor.â Then â âthe craftsmen went to another site, theyâll be back in a couple of days.â
Margo noticed the mother-in-law was settling in more firmly. She brought her own pillow, slippers, even her favorite mug. And Semyon stayed late at work more and more â keeping out of trouble.
One evening, Margo couldnât find her planner. She searched everywhere â found it in a pile of the mother-in-lawâs magazines. Open, with bent pages.
âTatyana Evgenievna,â Margo tried to sound calm, âhave you been looking through my planner?â
The mother-in-law tore her eyes away from the TV:
âOh, that little notebook? I was just curious what young people do nowadays. In our time, we didnât write down every little thing.â
âThatâs personal,â Margo said firmly. âWork notes, meetings⌠Please donât touch my things.â
âOh, how important we are!â â Tatyana Evgenievna threw up her hands. âWhatâs secret there? Iâm not a stranger, Iâm your husbandâs mother!â
Margo felt her patience run out. She grabbed her phone and went out to the balcony to call her mom.
âMom, I canât take it anymore,â she whispered, closing the door behind her. âSheâs been here a month. Rummaging through my things, criticizing everything. And Semyon seems blind to it!â
Nina Yuryevna, always calm and wise, listened to her daughter.
âDarling, maybe I should come for the weekend? Support you. And talk to Tatyana â weâre both future grandmothers, we need to find common ground.â
âMom, that would be wonderful,â Margo sighed. âCome Saturday, Iâve missed you so much.â
That evening, she told her husband about her motherâs visit.
âMy mom is coming Saturday. Just for the weekend.â
Semyon froze, holding his shirt.
âSaturday? Why so suddenly?â
âSuddenly?â â Margo was surprised. âI havenât seen her in ages. And your momâs been living here a month, but mine canât come for two days?â
Semyon sighed:
âMargosh, nowâs not a good time for guests. You said yourself â itâs cramped.â
âWait a minute,â Margo couldnât believe her ears. âYou seriously? Your mom occupied the living room for months, and mine canât come for the weekend?â
âThatâs different,â Semyon tried to explain. âMy mom had a force majeureâŚâ
âA force majeure from a month ago?â â Margo raised her voice. âSemyon, I spoke to Valentina, your momâs neighbor, yesterday. The repairs finished two weeks ago!â
Semyon was embarrassed:
âMaybe some unfinished workâŚâ
âNo unfinished work!â â Margo was no longer holding back. âEverythingâs done. Your mom just decided to live with us, and you indulge her. But you refuse my mom? How is that, Semyon?â
A knock on the door interrupted their argument. Tatyana Evgenievna stood in the doorway in a robe.
âWhatâs all the noise? What are you arguing about?â
âMy mom wants to come for the weekend,â Margo said dryly.
âNinochka?â â smiled the mother-in-law. âNice. But where will she sleep? The couch is taken.â
âExactly,â Semyon agreed. âWe need to postpone.â
Margo looked between her husband and mother-in-law â couldnât believe her ears.
âYour mom can stay for months, but mine canât?â â she exclaimed. âMom will sleep in our bedroom, and you and I will be in the living room. Or you take the folding bed, and I stay with Mom.â
âThatâs inconvenientâŚâ â Semyon started.
âAnd I sleep all month to the TV blaring until midnight â thatâs convenient?â â Margo couldnât stop. âNo, Semyon. My mom is coming, and thatâs final!â
She turned and left, leaving them confused.
The next day, tension only grew. Tatyana Evgenievna began âaccidentallyâ mentioning in front of her son how Margo âwas rudeâ and âdisrespected her elders.â Margo pretended not to hear.
On Thursday, neighbors Anton and Lena came by. The mother-in-law quickly charmed them with stories and offered pies. Margo stepped out briefly and overheard the mother-in-law whispering:
âItâs hard for Semyon with her. Sheâs so stubborn, wonât give in on anything. Iâm trying to help here, and she just snapsâŚâ
Margo froze behind the door. Anger rose like a wave. She wanted to go in and say everything â but realized it would only confirm the mother-in-lawâs words. She took a deep breath and went back to the kitchen. Pretended she hadnât heard.
Work became the only salvation. The travel agencyâs season started, and Margo happily stayed late â just to avoid going home.
She especially grew close to a colleague, Andrey â he had recently divorced and understood family problems well.
âI had a similar story,â he said over lunch. âMy ex-mother-in-law constantly interfered in our life. I tolerated it â thought it was for my wife. Then I realized: no one will respect your boundaries if you donât set them yourself.â
âBut how to set them if your husband doesnât support you?â â Margo asked bitterly.
âYour husband has to choose â mom or wife,â Andrey said seriously. âAnd if he chooses mom⌠then you should think about the future.â
Margo nodded thoughtfully. Andrey was right, but it didnât make things easier.
Friday was especially hard. Margo came home to find Tatyana Evgenievna had âcleaned upâ the bedroom.
âI was just preparing the room for Ninochka,â she said innocently when Margo caught her rummaging through the wardrobe. âYou have so much junk here! When was the last time you wore this blouse?â
âTatyana Evgenievna,â Margo tried to stay calm. âI appreciate your⌠care. But next time please ask before touching my things.â
âHow ungrateful!â â the mother-in-law shook her head. âI want to help. At your age, I had already raised two and kept the house in order.â
Margo bit her lip to keep from snapping. Then Semyon called â he was staying late, celebrating a projectâŚ
Continued in the comments
https://livenews24h.com/habtv/not-a-good-time-for-guests-he-said-as-his-mom-sat-on-our-couch-in-that-single-cruel-sentence-he-broke-our-marriage-and-i-knew-it-was-time-to-find-a-new-place-to-live/